Warriors earn softball sweep over Millersville

Monday

Apr 15, 2013 at 12:01 AM

EAST STROUDSBURG — East Stroudsburg University rallied for a 7-6, walk-off win with two runs in the seventh in the opener, then scored nine runs on nine hits in the first inning of a 12-4 win in game two as the Warriors swept a PSAC East softball doubleheader against Millersville on Sunday.

Staff reports

EAST STROUDSBURG — East Stroudsburg University rallied for a 7-6, walk-off win with two runs in the seventh in the opener, then scored nine runs on nine hits in the first inning of a 12-4 win in game two as the Warriors swept a PSAC East softball doubleheader against Millersville on Sunday.

ESU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opener before coming back from a 6-3 deficit, scoring the tying run on a base hit by senior OF Jennifer Denaro, a Pleasant Valley graduate, and plating the winning run as sophomore SS Cara Woods reached on a fielders choice.

In the second game, the Warriors sent 14 batters to the plate in the first inning, with the first five and seven of the first eight belting out singles to break the game open early. After Millersville made it 9-4 in the fourth, ESU scored two in the fifth and one in the sixth to end the afternoon early.

The sweep gives ESU a 3-1 series victory over Millersville, as the two schools split in their conference openers at Millersville on March 29.

The Warriors (17-14, 4-6) moved into a tie with West Chester for third in the PSAC East with six conference games remaining, which will be played in a five-day stretch from April 23-27.

Freshman Amanda Carlin was the winning pitcher in both ends of the doubleheader coming on for 3 innings of scoreless relief work in the opener and going 3 2-3 innings as the starter in game two.

In game 1, the Warriors jumped on Millersville with two runs on three hits in the first, as Wagner and Smith singled and scored on a two-out double by sophomore OF Kasey Meckes, a Pleasant Valley graduate.

They got another in the second as Mignoli singled, stole second and scored on a single by Thomas.

Carlin relieved junior Laura Suits in the fifth and held Millersville to just two hits the rest of the way.

Sophomore 2B Jamie Smith led off with a bunt single and Rebecca Smith followed with a bunt single to put the tying and winning runs on base. Meckes drew a one-out walk to load the bases, and Denaro singled to right to score Jamie Smith. With the bases loaded, one out and the winning run on third, Woods hit a ground ball to Jordan Sheffield at shortstop, who stepped on second but was unable to get Woods to complete the double play as Rebecca Smith crossed with the winning run.

EAST STROUDSBURG — Juniors Matt Smith and Keenan Stare delivered brilliant pitching performances, and senior outfielder Eric Boyer made a sprawling catch in the right-center gap for the day's final out as East Stroudsburg University swept West Chester, 4-2 and 3-1, in PSAC East baseball Sunday.

ESU (21-9, 7-5), which has won 10 of its last 11, split Saturday at West Chester for a 3-1 series win this weekend. The Warriors swept West Chester, the defending Division II champions, at home for the first time since 2002 and recorded their second series win over the Golden Rams in 11 years.

Smith threw his second straight complete game, improving to 5-1 by scattering seven hits. He struck out six and walked two after throwing a complete-game three-hitter in a 5-1 win over Mansfield last weekend.

Stare held West Chester (17-13-1, 18-4) to one hit through six innings, then got the first out of the seventh before being relieved by senior Colin Kelly with ESU up 3-1.

In game 1, West Chester scored both of its runs in the first inning on a two-run single by Chris Pula, then left two runners on base in the second before Smith surrendered just two more hits the rest of the way.

ESU got on the board with two outs in the fifth, as Ernst doubled past diving centerfielder Mike Raimo and Boyer singled to make it 2-1.

The Warriors took the lead with three runs in the sixth. Redshirt freshman 3B Drew Hercik was hit by a pitch and redshirt sophomore OF Andy Brandstetter walked, both with one out, and a passed ball put runners on second and third.

Redshirt freshman 2B Matt Walewski, playing for an injured Joe Bennie, drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly to left, then Ernst had an RBI single to right off reliever Kyle Weary for the go-ahead run. Boyer was intentionally walked to load the bases and junior DH Mike Tenaglia was hit by a pitch to push the lead to 4-2 before West Chester got out of the inning.

In game 2, West Chester once again took an early lead, but this time the Warriors struck right back in the bottom of the first. Ernst singled and Boyer and Tenaglia walked to load the bases, and junior OF Chris Knott belted a two-RBI single to put ESU ahead, 3-1.

A single by Justin Lamborn in the first was West Chester's only hit until the seventh off Stare, who had one batter reach on an error in the second, issued a walk in the fifth and had a hit batter and a walk in the sixth but got out of trouble each time.

EAST STROUDSBURG — East Stroudsburg University played two matches at two sites Sunday, falling 8-1 at PSAC East regular season champion Kutztown and returning to campus for a 9-0 win over Cheyney.

Junior Annie Vega won 6-3, 6-1 at No. 4 singles for ESU's point against Kutztown, which finished the PSAC East schedule at 9-7 overall with a perfect 6-0 divisional record.

Against Cheyney, ESU won both doubles matches 8-0 with seniors Rabecca Lausch and Elizabeth Longenhagen teaming at No. 1, and Vega and sophomore Taylor Presby at No. 2.

EAST STROUDSBURG — East Stroudsburg University added nine new PSAC qualifiers and senior Lauren Ventrella ran two-hundredths of a second off her school record in the 100 hurdles to lead the Warriors in meets at Moravian and Bucknell this weekend.

Ventrella was second in both the 100 hurdles and 400 hurdles at Moravian's Coach P Open, with times of 14.55 and 1:05.06, and ran the second leg on the winning 4x100 relay (49.04) along with junior Rachel Pierantozzi, freshman Tirzah Johnson and junior Brittany Jones.

At Bucknell, junior Chris Schneider ran 14:57.37 in the 5,000, the ninth-fastest time in school history and third-fastest since 1989. Senior Mike Pereira also qualified in 15:19.07, and senior Rose Mascoli qualified in the women's 5K in 18:12.01.